I have been perusing the many cool posts here about creating home tiki bars and such. On some I have seen the bars on the interior. With that said, I'm curious if any of you knowledgeable tiki-philes know of a good source for home electrical information. I'm interested in being able to replace/add wiring for easier access for lighting. Any recommendations on reads, links would be most helpful as I wouldn't want to electrocute myself when doing work. Mahalo!

When I recently decfided to wire a switch into my TV/fishtank for the light/filter I found it very hard to find any info on how to wire anything using mains power (240v here).. for a good reason i guess, it's clearly dangerous and NOBODY wants to be responsible for providing info to someone that is not a licenced electrician and the possible outcomes.

I recommend using extension leads and power strips to get the power to where you need it and getting creative with how you hide it.. its also easier to change/move stuff if its not hard wired.. you can just unplug it..

When I finished my basement about 5 years ago, I went to Amazon.com and bought two books on home wiring. Very very handy. They tell you exactly how to buy the proper materials, install them safely and a bit of theory also.

My books were by Richter and very easy to follow. I installed 6 recessed lights on a custom 3 way dimmer circuit, 20 amp standard outlets, 20 amp GFCI outlets, and pulled the wiring for it all too. I even mustered up the courage to put new breakers in the panel to run the new circuits. I thought for sure I'd have to hire an electrician for that step!

If you understand the basics of what you want to do and take your time, you'll be fine.

Just keep in mind that in some jurisdictions, like Australia, it is actually illegal to do you own electrical work without a license. Technically you're not even allowed to run phone or network cables here without a separate cabling licence, which not all licensed electricians have. Something to do with the phone system and anything that is connected to it, even via another appliance.

Other jurisdictions like NZ, I believe you can do your own home wiring, but don't quote me on it, as it may be totally wrong, or has changed since I last heard.

Local laws, City Ordinances, Licensing, blah, yadda, and yip. Can't help with the specifics because too many people want to make sure your safe, or make sure their jobs are safe, or some combination of the two.

I will say before you do anything more than creatively running an extension cord, you need a circuit tester, or circuit pen.

It will tell you if what you are about to pull or push has current and will stand your hair up on end. I speak from experience and it is the best 20-ish bucks you will spend on your project.

Personally I bought a couple of strings of 4 garden lights and took the lamps off and then used the exisiting wiring and bulbs to light my floats. They already come with a transformer so the voltage is dropped to the actual wiring.